What I’m Reading -- Horns and Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson

This is one of those books I chose just because of its cool cover. Horns and Wrinkles is by Joseph Helgerson with the artwork by Nicoletta Ceccoli. The story begins with 12-year old Claire being terrorized above a river by her cousin Duke. When Duke falls into the river, however, he begins to grow a horn every time he does something bad, which is quite often. Thus begins an adventure in which Claire tries to free her cousin from the grasp of three river trolls that he starts hanging out with as his nose continues to grow. The plot is quite complex as readers learn about a history of odd happenings around the river, or as Claire’s Grandpa says, “rivery things”. This is a good humorous fairy tale for readers for 4th to 7th graders. Helgerson goes a bit long in some areas, but provides some great vivid characters, especially in Claire’s family. Older readers may find it a bit juvenile, but this is a fun fantasy.